Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast

Should an organist specialize in a specific era, style, or composer—or strive to master a broad, versatile repertoire across all musical periods? In this episode of the Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast (SOPP #795), we dive into the age-old debate of specialization versus generalization in organ playing. Whether you are preparing service music, concert repertoire, or developing your technical foundations, discover the key advantages, challenges, and career impacts of narrowing your focus vs. playing everything.

How many organ pieces should you be practicing at once? It’s a question every organist—from beginners to professionals—faces. In this episode, we dive into the balance of juggling multiple repertoires, the "three levels of difficulty" strategy suggested by James Flores, and how to manage your practice schedule based on upcoming recitals. We also share some personal stories from our time at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and discuss when it might be time to abandon a piece that isn't working.

When is an organ piece truly ready to perform? Is it enough to play all the correct notes, or should we wait until the music feels completely secure?In this episode of Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast, we discuss the signs that show a piece is ready for public performance. We explore preparation, confidence, musical flow, recovery from mistakes, and why waiting for perfection can sometimes prevent an organist from gaining valuable performance experience.Listen if you are preparing for a recital, church service, examination, or any occasion when you must decide whether your piece is ready to leave the practice room.

In this episode, we dive into the fascinating topic of what makes an organ performance truly memorable. Have you ever attended a concert that was technically flawless but left you feeling cold? Or perhaps one with a few mistakes that stayed with you for decades? We share our personal experiences—from the moving performances of Professor Leopoldas Digrys to the "gray and dull" recitals that technically had nothing wrong with them. We discuss the importance of artistic "spark," registration choices, the energy of live performances, and knowing when it's better to cancel a recital than to deliver a "sloppy" job. Join us as we explore the balance between technical perfection and artistic soul in organ playing.

In this episode of the Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast (SOPP791), Aušra and I dive into the technical and physical challenges of organ keyboard actions. Inspired by a comment from Dan about the notoriously light touch on Rogers organs, we share our personal experiences with everything from heavy tracker actions to the frustrating "latency" found in some pneumatic and virtual instruments. We also recount some of our "nightmare" performance stories from churches across Lithuania, including a memorable (and challenging) recital where the accidental keys played deeper than the naturals!

In this episode of the Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast, Vidas and Aušra dive into a listener question from James about accompanying Gregorian chant. They explore whether it's better to double the melody or keep the accompaniment simple and unobtrusive.They discuss different traditions, including the style at Fontgombault Abbey, the importance of text in chant, and how to handle congregational singing vs. a schola. Whether you're a novice or an experienced organist, you'll find insights on harmonization, modal coloring, and leading your congregation.

Have you ever met organists who seem to look down on everybody else, who take others for granted as if you only serve their purpose. Today Ausra and I will discuss how to deal with arrogant organists. Hope you will enjoy it!

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 788! Today's question was sent by Nicolo and he writes: Dear Vidas, I'm an avid listener of your podcast and always enjoy the conversations that you and Ausra have. I'm a beginner located in Colorado (USA) looking to invest in a small practice organ like this residence organ that Bedient makes. I think you know this builder well, so I wanted to get your opinion on this configuration as a practice instrument. Is having an independent pedal necessary for practicing trio sonatas? This organ requires the pedals to be coupled with one of the manuals. Also, are manual couplers useful in a practice instrument or not strictly necessary if one accepts the limited tonal palette? Thank you, Nicolo Hope you will enjoy our conversation!

You walk into a dark church, you've never seen this console before, and the audience starts arriving in exactly 30 minutes. Is it actually possible to be ready? Today, we’re breaking down the emergency checklist.

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 786! Today Ausra and I would like to share our discussion on the emotional and technical considerations when choosing music for funerals and memorials, exploring Bach's and other composers' best contributions to the genre.

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 785! Today Ausra and I will talk about my unsuccessful trip to Aland Organ Festival last week when due to multiple flight cancellations and delays I would have missed my own recital and therefore had to cancel it. It was the first time in my 26 year career as international concert organist. There were some lessons learned from this experience too so we hope you will enjoy our conversation!

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 784! On June 11 Ausra and I went to the organ recital of Olivier Latry who visited Vilnius for the first time. This event was part of the Vilnius Festival and took place at St. Casimir's church. It was one of the most amazing recitals we have ever listened to in Lithuania! Hope you will enjoy our conversation!

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 783! Today Ausra and I will be giving some practical advice for organists to handle common mechanical issues like loose keys and ciphering, empowering them to maintain their instruments (with some words of caution, of course). Hope you will will find it useful!

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 781! Today Ausra and I will discuss the question of learning modal organ improvisation for beginners. We got inspiration for this topic from the comment by our good friend James Flores who said he should try modal improvisation. Hope you will enjoy it!

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 781! Today Ausra and I will discuss the question about playing organ music from tablets and MobileSheets app. Hope you will enjoy it!

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 780! Today's question was sent by Dawn who is our Total Organist student and she writes: How can I learn ‘Mental Practice’? There is a lot of information about this on Youtube by other musicians but none of them are Organists. They claim to have an ability to play mentally, without a score or instrument. They see, hear and feel as if they are playing using their imagination. To what extent is this true? Can anybody learn it or not? And if so, at what stage in the learning process should you learn it? And how?

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 779! Today Ausra and I will give some practical steps for classically trained organists to finally start improvising with confidence. Hope you will enjoy it!

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 778! Today Ausra and I will discuss the topic of navigating the most common and high-stakes church services for organists weddings and funerals.

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 777! Today's question was set by Leo and he writes: "What organ repertoire would be comparable to the Durufle Requiem? I’ve played the Prelude and Fugue in the name of Alain years ago for my Masters organ recital. Currently preparing a recital for the Spoleto festival in May."

Welcome to Secrets of Organ Playing Podcast No. 776! Today's question was sent by Margaret and she writes: "I am a 77 year old female first year piano student who wishes to play the organ as fast as possible. How much daily practice would you suggest?"